Texas A&M lands No. 1 in-state kicker prospect Andres von der Meden for 2027 class

Texas A&M’s recruiting push for the 2027 class added a specialist with elite upside Monday, when in-state kicker Andres von der Meden announced his commitment to the Aggies. Von der Meden, a Tomball, Texas player, is ranked as the No. 1 kicker in the 2027 class by Kohl’s Professional Camps, and that designation matters because kickers are often the difference between a season’s close games being “extra points and field goals” or “going for it.”

Kohl’s profiling places von der Meden at 6 feet tall and 170 pounds, framing him as a prospect whose kickoffs and field-goal charting have consistently graded out among the top tier at national events. In a 2026 May Spring Showcase charting, Kohl’s credited him with scoring 14 of 15 points, including a kickoff that traveled 83 yards with 4.03 seconds of hang time, and at the Kohl’s Texas Winter Showcase he hit 15 of 15 field-goal charting points, showing the kind of repeatable contact teams prefer when games turn tight late.

Kohl’s also lists von der Meden as “Committed: Texas A&M” on its 2027 kicker rankings page, making the pledge feel more than just a single outlet’s report. TexAgs, an independent recruiting platform that tracks commitments by date, shows the commitment occurring on June 8, 2026, with von der Meden listed from Tomball, TX.

For Texas A&M, the pickup fits the broader pattern of coach Mike Elko’s staff targeting high-ceiling specialists alongside higher-profile positions. As of this writing, TexAgs’ 2027 commit list shows Texas A&M with 20 commitments total, and the addition of a top-ranked kicker helps stabilize the “special teams” column before the class even reaches the signing period.

In practical terms, a high-end kicking prospect gives a staff more options, especially in environments where one good kickoff changes a return, and one confident extra point or field goal changes how an offense plays the next possession. Kickers also have to translate production from camp settings to college standards, where holds, rush proximity, tempo, and pressure are different. Von der Meden’s profile suggests the leg strength and consistency, but his real test will come during offseason work, preseason camp, and whatever role the coaches plan for him in the 2027 timeline.

What to watch next is how Texas A&M’s plans for its kicking group line up once the new class is on campus, including how quickly von der Meden builds chemistry with the unit that holds, snaps, and runs the protection scheme. The commitment is already on the books, and with Kohl’s ranking him No. 1 in the class, expectations will rise in lockstep with his development.

(Note: Texas A&M has not been located yet via an official athletics release for this specific commitment in the research conducted for this story, so some confirmation details are being triangulated through recruiting and camp sources.)